The present invention relates to an ultrasonic operating apparatus capable of a treatment such as incision, removal or coagulation of a living tissue by use of ultrasonic waves and also capable of a treatment with a high frequency.
An ultrasonic operating apparatus described in, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2005-118357 (Patent document 1) has been disclosed as one example of an ultrasonic operating apparatus generally capable of administering a treatment such as incision, removal or coagulation of a living tissue by use of ultrasonic waves and also capable of administering a treatment with a high frequency.
In this apparatus, an operation portion at hand is coupled to the proximal end of an elongate insertion portion. An ultrasonic transducer for generating ultrasonic vibrations is provided in this operation portion. A treatment portion for treating the living tissue is provided at the distal end of the insertion portion.
The insertion portion has an elongate circular tubular sheath. A vibration transmitting member is inserted in the sheath. The proximal end of the vibration transmitting member is detachably connected to the ultrasonic transducer via a threaded joint. Thus, the ultrasonic vibrations generated by the ultrasonic transducer are transmitted to an ultrasonic probe on the distal side of the vibration transmitting member. In this manner, the ultrasonic vibrations from the ultrasonic transducer are transmitted to the ultrasonic probe on the side of the treatment portion via the vibration transmitting member, thereby administering the treatment such as incision, removal or coagulation of the living tissue by use of the ultrasonic waves.
Furthermore, in the apparatus of Patent document 1 described above, the ultrasonic transducer is disposed within a transducer cover. The transducer cover has an inner casing and an outer casing. A heat insulating antivibration layer is formed between the inner casing and the outer casing.
Moreover, the operation portion is provided with a high-frequency output transmitting portion for transmitting a high-frequency output to the probe, and a switch attachment portion. In the switch attachment portion, there is disposed a switch for controlling the turning on/off of the high-frequency output. A high-frequency connecting pin is attached to the high-frequency output transmitting portion. An electric cord for supplying a high-frequency current from a high-frequency cauterization power supply unit is connected to the high-frequency connecting pin. The inner end of the high-frequency connecting pin is electrically connected to the ultrasonic probe of the treatment portion via the operation portion and via an electric conduction path within the sheath. Thus, the high-frequency current is supplied to the ultrasonic probe of the treatment portion as necessary, so that a high-frequency treatment such as the coagulation of the living tissue is administered.
Concerning the apparatus of Patent document 1 described above, there is also shown a configuration in which a switch unit having a switch for controlling an ultrasonic output is externally attached to the operation portion. One end of a connection cable for controlling the ultrasonic output is connected to the switch unit. A connection plug connected to the main unit of the ultrasonic operating apparatus is connected to the other end of this connection cable.
Furthermore, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-330977 (Patent document 2) has disclosed an ultrasonic operating apparatus having a configuration in which an electric connection portion is provided within a hand piece. In this apparatus, an electric contact is disposed around an ultrasonic transducer incorporated in the hand piece. Another conducting member contacts this electric contact to connect electric paths when the hand piece is assembled.